Red Lights
by Aleah
Summary: Completed. An AU of "Where I End And You Begin." Peyton killed Lucas, the story starts after the accident.
1. Default Chapter

**Title:** Red Lights

**Author:** Aleah

**Rating:** T, apparently. (PG-13)

**Summary:** An alternate version of episode 1.05, "Where I End And You Begin." Peyton's reckless driving results in something she didn't want and won't accept. Two chapters, complete.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Tree Hill. This fic pretty much denounces the first season, so, yeah.

**Spoilers:** All of season one, which this was written after.

* * *

After the two cars collided, she had just gotten up and walked away.

Sure, the car belonged to her, but they couldn't prove she'd been driving if she wasn't there. She knew that to be true, because her car had just been through an adventure without her anywhere near it.

She walked around the town, her mind reeling from the sight of Lucas unconscious and bleeding in the passenger seat of her car. He had wanted to help her. And she……

She pushed the images out of her mind. It didn't happen. Lucas Scott was still alive. He had to be. He was the only one who ever bothered to figure out what was going on with her. He was alive and happy and in love with her. And everything would be okay.

Peyton Sawyer kept walking.

* * *

Dan Scott was driving home from the dealership when he noticed a car that had clearly been in an accident, parked on the side of the road like nothing had happened. Parking his car, he got out and went to investigate. When he saw the body lying motionless in the car, he froze.

Lucas.

He stared at the son he'd abandoned, his head lolled to one side and blood marring his face. Dan could walk away and pretend he'd never seen this car, but if he did that Lucas would die……that is, if he wasn't dead already. He quickly checked for a pulse, and it was faint, but it was there. Struggling with himself for a moment, Dan finally decided that there was no time to debate, and he lifted Lucas out of the front passenger side of what Dan dimly recognized to be Nathan's ex-girlfriend Peyton's car, carrying the boy back to his own car. If they didn't reach the hospital in time Dan would have yet another regret to add to the long list he had compiled over the years.

When they reached the hospital, Dan removed Lucas from the inside of the car and ran through the emergency room entrance. "I need a doctor!" he yelled, and was relieved to see that a group of hospital workers immediately began hurrying towards him, wheeling a gurney along with them. "I found him unconscious inside a car that had clearly been in an accident. I don't know how long he was there." Dan talked in a rushed tone, unaware of what information they would ask for and wanting to tell them everything he knew so no time would be wasted. They helped him place Lucas onto the gurney.

"He's going to need surgery," one of the hospital workers said to Dan.

"Do whatever you need to do," Dan responded instantaneously. For all the bad things one could say about the way he'd treated and spoken of Lucas, he did not want the boy to die.

"You're his legal guardian?" the same hospital worker asked. His eyes probed Dan's as if he'd sensed that something about him was off.

Unable to voice it in actual words, Dan merely nodded, and watched as the gurney carrying Lucas's prone form sped away.

As soon as they were out of sight, he turned and attempted to calm himself before going to call Karen and tell her what had happened.


	2. Aftermath

**Title:** Red Lights

**Author:** Aleah

**Rating:** T, apparently. (PG-13)

**Summary:** An alternate version of episode 1.05, "Where I End And You Begin." Peyton's reckless driving results in something she didn't want and won't accept. Two chapters, complete.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Tree Hill. This fic pretty much denounces the first season, so, yeah.

**Spoilers:** All of season one, which this was written after.

* * *

The town would not stop talking about the accident, but nothing really changed as a result. The women who belonged to the Boosters didn't suddenly start thinking of Lucas Scott as "one of the good ones." Dan Scott didn't reconcile with his high school girlfriend and older brother. There was no reason for them to be grateful to him; Lucas had died anyway. Dan hadn't found him in time.

So everything was exactly the same, Brooke Davis thought at the funeral mass, sitting among the basketball players and some of the other cheerleaders. The entire town was in attendance, it seemed. Half of them looked bored out of their minds, or were wearing obviously insincere somber expressions. And then she'd happened to glance over at Nathan Scott, who was sitting next to her (Peyton hadn't even bothered to show up, or else she would have sat between them) and he looked sad. Genuinely sad - Brooke had known Nathan long enough to know when he was faking it, and he wasn't.

Maybe something had changed…

After the mass was over (Lucas' mom and everyone else who'd actually cared about Lucas while he was alive were going on to the cemetery alone), Brooke intercepted Lucas' mother, his uncle, and the girl with mousy brown hair Lucas had brought to Nathan's party, before they could leave. "Hi," she said awkwardly, because she could not for the life of her remember any of their names, if she had in fact ever known them. "I just wanted to let you guys know how sorry I am for what happened. And," she remembered to add just in time, "I'm speaking for Peyton too. She really-"

Lucas' mother's face instantly began to crumple and tears formed in her eyes. The brown-haired girl gave Brooke the coldest glare of all those she had ever received. "_Do not_ say that name to us," she snapped, and she and the Scott uncle led Lucas' mother away, leaving Brooke standing there with her mouth practically hanging open.

No one had ever reacted so violently to her best friend's name before. Brooke understood why they did, of course, but she'd thought Lucas' mom didn't blame Peyton for Lucas' death, since she'd decided not to press charges. Apparently Brooke had been wrong. She remained in the doorway, stunned, for a few moments, before remembering that she was blocking the exit and heading out to her car.

When she arrived at the Sawyer house, Brooke parked her car, got out, and entered the house silently. Peyton never locked her doors, which Brooke thought was a particularly foolish action. Anyone could just walk in there and loot the place, and Peyton probably wouldn't even realize it was happening.

Brooke closed the door behind her and locked it (_there, all better_), and then she hurried up the stairs to Peyton's room.

Peyton sat at her computer, staring at the image of herself projected by her webcam. She didn't acknowledge Brooke.

"Hey," Brooke said gently, although loudly enough to be heard over the Weezer song playing on Peyton's stereo. "What's going on?"

Peyton still didn't look up. Brooke rolled her eyes, reached out, and stopped the CD from playing. "Wake up, girl," she said, injecting a bit of harshness into her voice.

Peyton turned her head and Brooke had to stop herself from wincing at the sight of Peyton's haggard appearance. "You missed Lucas' funeral," she informed the other girl, forcing a smile. "What're you up to?"

Peyton's eyes glazed over for a brief instant, then returned to focus. "Okay, fine. But if you can figure out where he might be, at least call his mom. See ya."

Brooke gaped at her best friend. She reached out and shook Peyton by her shoulders. "Peyton, come on, snap out of it," she begged desperately.

"Help with what? Getting me out of the way so you can go embarrass yourself in front of Lucas?"

Brooke slapped Peyton across the face, hoping to shake her from the trance she seemed to be in.

Peyton's face crumpled, almost like Lucas' mom's had at the church. "I don't know if I'm in love with him, Brooke," she whispered. "Please don't hate me."

"Peyton, what are you _talking_ about?" Brooke demanded, her voice rising in hysterics.

"Lucas!" Peyton yelled back, finally rising from her chair. "I'm talking about Lucas."

"Well, Peyton, it doesn't _matter_ if you were in love with him, because he's dead," Brooke said, searching Peyton's eyes for even a glimmer of awareness.

Peyton shook her head vigorously. "No, no, he's not," she replied. "He was in a coma for about three days, but he's okay now, thank God. I know he hurt you, but that's no reason to wish he was dead."

"Peyton, he _is_ dead," Brooke snapped. "You were having your little grief hissy fit, running red lights, and you KILLED him. Deal with it already!"

"No, no, no!" Peyton protested even as Brooke began talking. "Lucas isn't dead. He woke up from the coma. He's alive and happy and we're finally going to be together."

"Peyton, you are _really_ starting to scare me," Brooke said. "I don't have a clue what you're talking about. Lucas was never in a coma. Theresa's dad was one of the doctors who operated on him. He died during surgery. They tried to revive him, but it didn't work. He's _dead_." How many times did Brooke have to say it? Would she ever be able to get through to Peyton?

Peyton didn't understand why Brooke was acting like this. Why couldn't she just accept that Lucas would never love her? He loves me, Peyton told herself, using the thought as comfort. "Brooke, Lucas is not dead."

"Yes, he is!" Brooke was shouting now. "Peyton, you took him along on your little traffic-crime spree, and a car hit you guys on the passenger side. Then you pulled over, got out of the car, and just left him there! Mr. Scott found him there that night and brought him to the hospital. Dr. Ambrosi said that if he'd been brought in sooner they might have been able to save him! You let him get hurt and then you left him to die! It is YOUR FAULT."

Peyton was sick of listening to Brooke's lies.

Brooke watched in astonishment as Peyton's eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she dropped like a stone down to the floor.

"Shit!" Brooke exclaimed. She wouldn't have tried so hard to get Peyton to face reality if she'd known what the result would be. After she'd checked for a pulse and been relieved to find one, she grabbed Peyton's shoulders and shook the girl's torso as hard as she could. There was no response, and the irises of Peyton's eyes remained invisible.

Brooke hurried downstairs to the kitchen and quickly located the number at which she knew she could reach Peyton's father in an emergency.

* * *

_"It was one light at the wrong split-second and it ended for her," Peyton told Lucas, having begun to confide in him about her mother's accident. A car that was actually abiding by the rules of traffic swerved to one side just before it would have smashed into the passenger side of her car. She ignored the honking of car horns and drove past the next crosswalk; then she hit the brakes._

_"My mom ran one red light," she continued. She turned her head and looked at him sadly. "I run them all the time and nothing happens."_


End file.
